DS LAW, PLLC 1629 K Street NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006

David R. Siddall (202) 559-4690

December 14, 2019

Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary Federal Communications Commission 445 Twelfth Street, SW Washington, DC 20554

Notice of Ex Parte Presentation: WT Docket No. 16-239, Amendment of Part 97 of the Commission’s Amateur Radio Service Rules to Permit Greater Flexibility in Digital Data Communications

Dear Ms. Dortch:

On December 12, 2019, members of the Board of Directors of ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio (ARRL) and their Washington Counsel met with staff of the Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB). The ARRL participants were Rick Roderick, President; Jim Tiemstra, Pacific Division Director; Fred Hopengarten, New England Director; George W. “Bud” Hippisley, Roanoke Division Director; and David Siddall, ARRL Washington Counsel. The PSHSB participants were Lisa M. Fowlkes, Bureau Chief; David Furth, Deputy Bureau Chief; and John Evanoff, Deputy Chief, Policy and Licensing Division.

The focus of the meeting was a discussion of how the Amateur Radio Service continues to fulfill the need for emergency and disaster communications when other communications methods are disrupted. Notwithstanding a plethora of new communications methods and technologies, disruptions to commercial services continue to occur and Radio Amateurs continue to train for and provide whatever assistance possible. The attached excerpt from the ARRL 2018 Annual Report focused on emergency preparedness was provided to FCC participants.

Reference was made in the course of the discussion to the usefulness of digital messaging services during emergency situations. Note was made that the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is leading efforts to make equipment and training available to Radio Amateurs in the Caribbean areas to improve their emergency communications response in the wake of hurricanes and other natural disasters. Radio Amateurs in the United States, however, cannot participate in some of these emergency communications activities because of an outdated rule limiting the permissible “symbol rate” used in digital communications. This rule is under review in WT Docket 16-239.

The ARRL participants noted that the Commission has granted waivers when needed during actual disaster situations to ensure that emergency communications will not be impaired. A permanent rule change is being sought to permit U.S. radio amateurs, like those everywhere else in the world, to train and communicate using all the digital modes commonly employed in the Amateur Service, and indeed, that are encouraged by the ITU for use during disaster events. Today signals transmitted by Radio Amateurs in neighboring countries use these techniques and are received throughout the United States, but U.S. Radio Amateurs are prohibited from responding directly using the same techniques. Our comments in this regard were the same as those filed earlier by ARRL in WT Docket 16-239.1

Pursuant to Section 1.1206 of the Commission’s Rules, this letter is being electronically filed in the above-referenced dockets and a copy e-mailed to each participant. Please refer any questions to David Siddall at the address below.

Respectfully submitted,

ARRL, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO

By:

David R. Siddall ARRL Washington Counsel

ARRL, The National Association DS LAW PLLC For Amateur Radio 1629 K St. NW, Suite 300 225 Main Street Washington. DC 20006 Newington, CT 06111

cc: Lisa M. Fowlkes David Furth John Evanoff

1 See ARRL Ex Parte Comments, WT Docket No. 16-239 (filed Sept. 17, 2019); and ARRL Comments, WT Docket 16-239 (filed December 2, 2019, on the NYU Petition for Declaratory Ruling in that Docket).

2 Radio Communications: Skill, Service, Discovery

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for Amateur Radio in the US. Today, with over 156,800 members, ARRL is the largest organization of radio amateurs in the world. Our mission is simple: “To advance the art, science, and enjoyment of Amateur Radio.” In 2016, ARRL revised its vision statement to more incisively state the organization’s intentions for our Second Century, which began with our centennial in 2014. ARRL’s Vision Statement As the national association for Amateur Radio in the United States, ARRL: Supports the awareness and growth of Amateur Radio worldwide; Advocates for meaningful access to radio spectrum; Celebrated inventor and entrepreneur Hiram Strives for every member to get involved, get active, Percy Maxim (1869-1936) created the American and get on the air; Radio Relay League in 1914 to help facilitate the relaying of messages via Amateur Radio. The Encourages radio experimentation and, through its resulting organized network of Amateur Radio members, advances radio technology and education; and operators helped send messages farther than Organizes and trains volunteers to serve their communities by any one station could reach at that time. providing public service and emergency communications. The execution of our mission is based on ARRL’s Five Pillars: Public Service, Advocacy, Education, Technology, and Membership.

Left: ARRL Headquarters sta! and Field Service volunteers work together to serve ARRL members and advance the art, science, and enjoyment of Amateur Radio. Right: Classroom teachers who enroll in the Teachers Institutes on Wireless Technology, o! ered through the ARRL Education & Technology Program, gain basic electronics knowledge by building small projects. They use their new-found knowledge back in their classrooms, while teaching STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) topics. Opposite page: Ham radio can go anywhere you go — including to the top of a mountain or out on the ocean. Portable operating adventures are one of the most popular ham radio activities right now.

2 ARRL 2018 Annual Report [Info for 2018 circle chart – pick up 2017 circle chart to run with/compare to 2018] 2017 ARES Events Drills, Training, Test Events Public Service Events Emergency Operations Events Other Events Total Events

2018 ARES Events Drills, Training, Test Events 42,292 Public Service Events 5,957 Emergency Operations Events 1,307 Other Events 1,807 Total Events 51,363

The Year in Review Total Events Total Events 33,136 51,673

Emergency Preparedness The Amateur Radio Service is most well-known for providing communications2017 ARES Events services 2018 ARES Events Drills, Training, Test Events Drills, Training, Test Events at times when other methods are inoperable, through ARRL’s Amateur Public ServiceRadio Events Emergency Public Service Events Service (ARES). ARES activity decreased slightly in 2018, after seeingEmergency an Operations increase Events in Emergency Operations Events Other Events Other Events 2017 — possibly due to 2017’s extremely diffi cult Atlantic Hurricane Season. [Info for 2018 circle chart – pick up 2017 circle chart to run with/compare to 2018] 2017 ARES Events 20000000 35,000 Drills, Training, Test Events 31,322 718,930 $17,354,958 Public Service Events 28,511 658,958 34,125 15000000 Emergency Operations Events $13,033,202 25,000 Other Events 10000000 19,989 Total Events 15,000

2018 ARES Events 5000000 Drills, Training, Test Events 42,292 5,000 Public Service Events 5,957 0 0 2017 2018 2017 2018 2017 2018 2016 2017 Emergency Operations Events 1,307 Total ARES Members Total Volunteer Hours Volunteer Value Total ARES Nets Other Events 1,807 Active in 50 states and territories $19 x Total Volunteer Hours Total Events 51,363 (The hourly value of volunteer time is determined by Independent Sector, calculated at the time of this report. This figure is a national average.)

Total Events Total Events 33,136 51,673

2017 ARES Events 2018 ARES Events Drills, Training, Test Events Drills, Training, Test Events Public Service Events Public Service Events Emergency Operations Events Emergency Operations Events Other Events Other Events

20000000 35,000 31,322 718,930 $17,354,958 28,511 658,958 34,125

15000000 $13,033,202 25,000

10000000 19,989 15,000

5000000 5,000

0 0 2017 2018 2017 2018 2017 2018 2016 2017 Total ARES Members Total Volunteer Hours Volunteer Value Total ARES Nets Active in 50 states and territories ARRL Puerto Rico Section Manager$19 x Total Oscar Volunteer Resto, Hours KP4RF (at left), and ARRL Virgin Islands Section Manager Fred Kleber, K9VV (second from right), accepted(The the hourly 2018 value International of volunteer Humanitariantime is determined Award from the ARRL Board of Directors, on behalf of the Amateur Radio populations of Puertoby Independent Rico and the Sector, Virgin calculated Islands at for the their time workof in the relief and recovery e! orts necessary after the 2017 hurricane this report. This figure is a national average.) season in the Caribbean. The award was presented at the 2018 Dayton Hamvention in May, by ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR (second from left), and ARRL Southeastern Division Director Greg Sarratt, W4OZK (at right).

8 ARRL 2018 Annual Report ARES Transitioning to ARRL Board Adopts Volunteer Monitoring Program New Online Reporting System At its July 2018 meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors adopted The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) has implemented the recommendations of the O$ cial Observer Program Study an online system called ARES Connect, a volunteer management, Committee, to retire the venerable O$ cial Observer (OO) Program communications, and reporting system that allows information to and institute the Volunteer Monitoring (VM) Program. Under be logged by ARES members and managed through the ARRL Field the terms of the new program, current O$ cial Observers will be Organization. ARES Connect covers event signup, reporting, and invited to apply for appointment as Volunteer Monitors. The Board roster management, and does not change how ARES operates when expressed its appreciation for the OOs and their dedicated volunteer serving a partner entity. service over the years. The ARES Connect system allows Emergency Coordinators, District The implementation of the Volunteer Monitoring Program, which Emergency Coordinators, and Section Emergency Coordinators to is expected to re-energize enforcement e! orts on the Amateur create events that ARES participants may sign up for. ARES partic- Radio bands, was undertaken at the request of the FCC in the wake ipants will have their own accounts in the system, and be able to of several FCC regional o$ ce closures and a reduction in # eld sta! . report their volunteer hours. Beta testing of ARES Connect began in Coordination of cases and evidence gathering would become the March 2018, in four ARRL Sections with large ARES organizations, responsibility of ARRL Headquarters sta! , while the FCC will retain resulting in feedback that led to changes and enhancements in the responsibility for # nal decisions regarding action in speci# c cases. the system. The ARRL Headquarters sta! has been trained in ARES The Volunteer Monitoring Program will be administered by a ded- Connect administration, with group registration under way and IDs icated Headquarters sta! member or an independent contractor assigned. working under the direction of ARRL Headquarters. ARES Connect is one element in the new ARES Plan, which was Preliminary plans include up to # ve Volunteer Monitors per ARRL adopted at the January 2019 Board of Directors meeting. Under the Section, and up to 250 Volunteer Monitors overall. Volunteer new ARES Plan, ARES training also is due for enhancement. Goals Monitor accreditation would be limited to a 3-year term, renewable include aligning the ARES organizational structure with the National by satisfying requirements necessary to ensure competency. Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS). Emergency Coordinators (ECs) will continue to lead local ARES teams during an incident, with support from District and ★ Section Emergency Coordinators. Report to America ★ Changes would encompass additional mandatory training to include ★ ARRL Emergency Communications courses and the now-standard FEMA NIMS/ICS courses IS-100, 200, 700, 800, with IS-300 and 400 ★ for higher levels. Training levels attained would dovetail with three new levels of ARES participation. Amateur Radio Responds The proposed updates to ARES will allow for the implementation of to Several California Wildfi res a policy of Best Practices and Continued Improvement. With these Santa Barbara Club Assists guiding concepts in place, ARES can become a more " exible program the Response to the Thomas Fire that can adapt to meet emerging communications needs.

ARRL Renews Memorandum of Understanding with SATERN On May 18, ARRL and The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) renewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organizations that spells out how they will work together in disaster and emergency responses. ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, signed the MoU on behalf of ARRL. SATERN National Liaison Bill Feist, WB8BZH, represented SATERN at the sign- ing and delivered a copy of the MoU already signed by The Salvation Burn scars from the massive Thomas Fire in southern California. This image was Army. ARRL and SATERN have enjoyed a formal working relationship created by combining three of the NOAA/NASA Suomi NPP satellite’s high-resolution since 1976. thermal and visible channels from the VIIRS sensor (SVI 4,2,1). Areas of land that are The MoU de# nes the partnership between ARRL and SATERN and hotter in temperature due to an active # re or a burn scar appear red in the imagery. [NOAA NESDIS photo] The Salvation Army, in which ARRL and SATERN agree to work together toward common goals, particularly in disaster response. Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club (SBARC) members kept a close The MoU also opens the possibility for sharing resources. watch on the Thomas Fire that raged from early December 2017 to ARRL and SATERN also have agreed to coordinate their disaster mid-January 2018. Using a variety of the club’s analog and digital response activities, to eliminate duplication of e! ort. The two Amateur Radio assets, radio operators were able to observe # re# ghting organizations mounted an e! ective and coordinated Amateur Radio e! orts # rst hand and pass along immediate information, often response in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands during the 2017 before it was reported by o$ cial sources or local news media. SBARC Atlantic Hurricane Season. operates # ve communication sites in Santa Barbara County, which use Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) receivers that Devoted Entirely to Amateur Radio 9 are connected via a combination of amateur microwave IP links and the Red Cross in Sacramento. ARES teams in other California Sections mesh networking. “[They] were used to track and monitor airborne remained on standby in case they were needed. #re#ghting activities,” said Levi Maaia, K6LCM, co-chair of SBARC’s The last ARES volunteers deployed to support an American Red Telecommunications Services Committee. Cross shelter stood down on August 7. Other shelter communicators Starting in mid-December, a round-the-clock emergency net deployed earlier remained on duty for 10 days. convened on 2 meters, as commercial power for much of Santa Barbara County was cut and the #re descended on residential communities in Santa Barbara County, prompting evacuations. Five Sacramento Valley ARES Groups With repeaters on generator power and many operators running on Respond to the Camp Fire battery power, net tra$c consisted of o$cial information, including evacuation orders, live reports on the rapidly approaching #re line from operators who remained inside the mandatory evacuation area, related tra$c about #re#ghting e!orts, and wind and weather conditions. SBARC volunteers set up an ad hoc remote receiving station to stream live #re ground and air communications audio over the internet and mesh network. “Amateur stations without power, cell phone, or internet access could be kept informed of important information including evacuation orders, via the Amateur Radio net,” Maaia explained. The largest in modern California history, the Thomas Fire caused devastating losses in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. In Ventura County, the Thomas Fire damaged or destroyed some Amateur Radio resources normally available to provide emergency communication. An Amateur Radio TV camera caught the #rst images of the Thomas Fire on December 4. On November 8, 2018, the Camp Fire erupted 90 miles north of Sacramento, California, at around 6:30 a.m. PST. By 8:00 p.m., it had burned 20,000 acres. As of 10 a.m. Paci#c ARES Volunteers from Multiple Sections Standard Time on November 9, the #re had consumed 70,000 acres of land and was 5% Assist the Carr Fire Response contained. [NASA photo] Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) volunteers from multiple In Butte County, in northern California, the Camp Fire, the state’s ARRL Sections pitched in to provide or support communication during deadliest wild#re, triggered a call-up of ARES members for the catastrophic Carr Fire, which burned from July 23 – August 30, 2018. communication support. A small wild#re that started on November The #re claimed eight lives, destroyed more than 1,600 buildings, and 8, 2018, in a mountainous area of Butte County quickly grew, due to burned 229,651 acres, forcing countless residents to evacuate. high winds. Eventually more than 25,000 people were evacuated. On August 5, the The uncontrolled wild#re eventually consumed the town of Paradise, Shasta-Tehama ARES a town of some 27,000 residents. As multiple shelters opened to team brought its assist evacuees, #ve Sacramento Valley ARES groups were called communications trailer out to support communication between the Red Cross Disaster to Trinity County to Operations Center (DOC) and the shelters. support a shelter in Utilizing mutual assistance, more than 20 ARES members from Weaverville opened #ve ARES groups supported the shelters. ARES members were also for evacuees, ARRL tasked by the Red Cross to shadow Red Cross delivery vehicles to Sacramento Valley provide communication in the mountain areas to the shelters. Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) Greg ARES communication at Kruckewitt, KG6SJT, said. the shelters was carried out using voice, Winlink, “This relieved the and email to pass shelter Sacramento County Bill Johnson, AI6DE, at the Simpson Shelter in Redding, CA. counts and tactical ARES volunteers who messages between the had been up there for several days,” Kruckewitt said, adding that shelter and the Red Cross communications at the shelter were important, as power and cell Disaster Operations Center phone coverage was often spotty, with power going o! for hours and California O$ce of at a time. At one point, more than a dozen ARES volunteers from Emergency Services. The Shasta, Sacramento, Butte, Placer, Trinity, and El Dorado counties Red Cross supported ARES were working at shelters opened in the wake of the Carr Fire. at the shelters with hot spots and backup radios. Sacramento Valley ARES member Michael Joseph, KK6ZGB, served as Sacramento Valley ARES volunteer Neil Bossard, the liaison at the Red Cross Gold County Region Disaster Operations N6CNY, on an activation for the Camp Fire. [Greg Working 12-hour shifts, Center (DOC) in Sacramento, Kruckewitt noted, adding that Joseph Kruckewitt, KG6SJT, photo] Sacramento Valley Section had been in the DOC since the #re started. District Emergency Kruckewitt said Winlink was the go-to mode, as #re damaged several Coordinator 3 Michael Joseph, KK6GZB, sta!ed the Red Cross radio repeaters and no repeater path exists to the Gold County Region of station as net control for the DOC, passing messages and tracking ARES personnel. Sacramento ARES members also provided coverage.

10 ARRL 2018 Annual Report Los Angeles Amateur Radio Operators The ARRL Headquarters Emergency Response Team activated on Assist in the Woolsey Fire Response September 12, as the storm continued to close in on the southeastern US coast. The Woolsey Fire that swept through the westernmost portion of Los Angeles County, including Malibu, and the easternmost area ARRL staged HF and VHF/UHF equipment in the Maryland/Virginia of Ventura County in the ARRL Santa Barbara Section, required the area for deployment locally or farther down the coast. evacuation of more than 200,000 Los Angeles County residents -- an The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) activated on Thursday, September unprecedented number in recent decades. Evacuees included several 13 to track the approach of Hurricane Florence and shut down its celebrities, several of whom lost homes in the #re. activation for 38 hours, shortly after the storm made landfall. “[G]overnmental radio systems used by #re and sheri! held up well, HWN Assistant Manager Stan Broadway, N8BHL, said nearly 200 even though cell phone and internet service went out in many #re stations checked in, and the net took in approximately twice that areas because of burned utility poles,” said Los Angeles Section number of reports, funneling important information via WX4NHC Manager Diana Feinberg, AI6DF. “Evacuees went to areas where cell at the National Hurricane Center (NHC). “Many were not at severe phone service was generally available.” levels, but all ‘ground truth’ [reports] assist in plotting the activity of Feinberg said Los Angeles ARES (ARES LAX) had not been the storm,” Broadway explained. activated because no county hospitals were in the a!ected area The Salvation Army Team Emergency Network (SATERN) activated on and no hospital outside the #re zone was in danger of losing September 14 and 15. The net’s primary mission was the receipt and communication. She added, though, that a sizable team of ARES delivery of outbound health-and-welfare messages from a!ected LAX operators organized by LAX-Northwest District Emergency areas. Coordinator Roozy Moabery, W1EH, did extensive logistics work over On September 17, ARRL requested a 30-day waiver of §97.307(f) the November 10 – 11 weekend at a major drop-o! site in the San of the FCC’s Amateur Service rules to permit the use of PACTOR Fernando Valley for evacuee supplies. ARES team members worked 4 digital mode for Amateur Radio communication within the with other volunteers to accept nearly 10 tons of pet food, plus continental US related to Hurricane Florence relief. thousands of boxes of toiletry and food items. §97.307(f) of the Commission’s Rules limits the digital data emissions On the air for the Woolsey Fire, both the Los Angeles County Disaster of amateur stations operating below 28 MHz to a symbol rate not Communications Service (DCS) — Amateur Radio volunteers to exceed 300 baud, and in the 10-meter band (28.0 – 28.3 MHz) overseen by the Sheri!’s Department — and the City of Los Angeles to a symbol rate not to exceed 1,200 baud, thus precluding the use Fire Department Auxiliary Communication Service (ACS) operated of PACTOR 4, a data protocol that permits relatively high-speed nets and monitored their respective frequencies. “The DCS group data transmission in the HF bands. The protocol was used to great at Lost Hills Sheri! Station covers most of the Los Angeles County advantage, pursuant to FCC temporary waivers, in Hurricane Maria areas a!ected by the Woolsey Fire and communicated with relief e!orts in 2017. organized amateurs in the cities of Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Hidden Hills, Malibu, Westlake Village, and unincorporated mountain areas ARRL South Carolina Section Emergency Coordinator Billy Irwin, when not a!ected by respective mandatory evacuation orders,” K9OH, noted that South Carolina was “fully activated,” and that he Feinberg said. “The City of Los Angeles’ ACS group was involved had coordinated regularly with the state Emergency Management when the city’s West Hills neighborhood in the San Fernando Division. Operators initially served 12-hour shifts at the South Valley became the #re’s northeastern front, forcing about half of Carolina Emergency Management Division and moved to 24-hour the West Hills community to evacuate.” Santa Barbara Section coverage as the storm intensi#ed. Two operators were deployed to Manager John Kitchens, NS6X, told ARRL that Ventura County ACS Berkeley County to assist with shelter operations at the request of (ARES) supported evacuation centers and the Red Cross, in the Santa the Emergency Coordinator there. Barbara Section. Feinberg said ACS members also delivered food and ARES District Emergency Coordinator EMEA Area 3 Earl Dean, water supplies to LAFD #re#ghters and performed #re patrols. W4ESD, said operators at the State Emergency Operations Center

Amateur Radio Response To 2018’s Two Major Hurricanes Hurricane Florence, August 31 – September 17 Hurricane Florence dumped historic amounts of rain, leaving much of the Carolinas inundated with dangerous, overwhelming "ooding that extended into portions of Virginia and West Virginia. ARRL HQ provided support to the ARRL Field Organization and ARES by shipping seven Ham Aid kits to South Carolina, by way of Georgia, on September 11 to assist with emergency preparedness needs in advance of Hurricane Florence. These kits were the same ones that ARRL/American Red Cross volunteers took This satellite image shows Hurricane Florence’s well-de#ned eye and outermost cloud bands beginning to to Puerto Rico in 2017 to assist with disaster approach the Outer Banks island group of North Carolina at 10:45 a.m. ET on September 12, 2018. [NOAA photo] communications following Hurricane Maria.

Devoted Entirely to Amateur Radio 11 (SEOC) kept in contact with #eld volunteers in Marion and Dillon Hurricane Michael, October 7 – 11 counties, after conventional telecommunications failed there. “We were able to deploy assets and personnel, thanks to our volunteers who managed communications between these areas and coordinated with the appropriate agencies,” Dean said. Gordon Mooneyhan, W4EGM, Public Information O$cer (PIO) for the Grand Strand Amateur Radio Club (GSARC), said radio amateurs set up and managed organized communication networks to assist local government and emergency agencies, as well as non- commercial health-and-welfare messaging for residents a!ected by the disaster, to let family members outside the a!ected area know they are okay. By September 20, 2018, conventional telecommunications were starting to return to normal in some communities a!ected by Hurricane Florence, but the long-gone storm had set up others for persistent and record-breaking "ooding, primarily in eastern North Carolina and along several of the state’s rivers. The storm, which A satellite image of Hurricane Michael making landfall at Mexico Beach, Florida, 1:30 made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina, primarily a!ected a.m. EDT on October 10, 2018. [NOAA photo] the Carolinas, Georgia, and Virginia. Hurricane Michael was the third-most intense storm to make “Things are back to normal communication status, and landfall on the United States, the strongest hurricane to ever make demobilization is occurring for folks deployed,” Billy Irwin, K9OH, landfall in the Florida panhandle, as well as the fourth-strongest said on September 19. At mid-week, the FCC reported that nearly all hurricane in the United States mainland by wind speed. cellular service had been restored in South Carolina. The ARRL Headquarters Emergency Response Team monitored ARES volunteers from several South Carolina counties had pitched the storm’s status as it headed for landfall on the Gulf Coast and in to support emergency communication in the face of power and made updates to ARRL Field Organization leaders in the Northern telecommunication outages and heavy rainfall. ARES Richland Florida and Alabama Sections. ARES teams in the Northern Florida County Emergency Coordinator Ronnie Livingston, W4RWL, said Section went on alert, and some activated to support emergency volunteers in his county sta!ed the county Emergency Operations communication before and during the storm. Center (EOC) and Red Cross. operators at the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) kept in contact with #eld volunteers in Miller Norton, W4EMN, the Communications Watch O$cer at the Marion and Dillon counties after conventional telecommunications Duval County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Jacksonville, failed there. Florida, monitored SARnet — a UHF-linked repeater network in Florida — when he heard an urgent call for help that needed to be sent to the In North Carolina, storm surge had caused "ooding in many State EOC in Tallahassee. All other forms of communication were out, communities. Ham radio volunteers responded in counties along but Norton was able to relay the message via Amateur Radio. He also the coast, including Wilmington, Topsail Beach, Jacksonville, and passed messages and requests from the Jackson County EOC to the Morehead City, sta$ng both EOCs and shelters. Farther inland, American Red Cross. Norton said o$cials in Tallahassee and Jackson numerous ARES teams activated in the face of river "ooding to County were both “incredibly grateful” for the way the SARnet system address a combination of sheltering needs for local residents functioned during the weather emergency. and evacuees. Communication throughout the state has been supplemented by neighborhood-based operators, who reported Jackson County Emergency Coordinator Ricky Whittington, KD4AST, emergencies to county EOCs. The FCC reported on September 19 that deployed to the county EOC in Marianna, which was hit by the nearly one-third of cell service was out in Columbus, Pender, and center of the storm at 140 MPH. “[The] county maintenance building Onslow counties. The storm also took out several broadcast outlets across the road from the EOC was picked up and slammed into the in the state. north side and over the roof of the EOC just prior to the eye passing over,” Whittington said. The internet failed, as did cell service for a while. Hams passed material and resource orders to the State EOC via HF and SARnet. On October 11, Whittington reported “total devastation of Bay, Jackson, and Gulf counties,” with loss of electrical power and water service, in addition to damage in Franklin, Holmes, and Leon counties, adding, “[The] mode of communications after the eye came across was ham radio, until we got minimal cell service…” ARES teams in Escambia, Alachua, Gilchrist, Citrus, Duval, and Clay counties reported activating or monitoring for Hurricane Michael. In the days after the storm, Northern Florida ARES sought volunteers to deploy for up to a week, to help resolve serious communication issues in the Florida panhandle. Hurricane Michael left the telecommunications infrastructure ravaged, and storm victims unable to communicate with family members outside the region. The Florida State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is hoping to recruit eight operators. Section Emergency Coordinator Karl Martin, KG4HBN, said ARES needs as many volunteers as possible.

12 ARRL 2018 Annual Report Clay County ARES Assistant Emergency Coordinator (AEC) and Cape Cod Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) was active at Public Information O$cer Scott Roberts, KK4ECR, was cited in a the Barnstable County Mutual Aid Coordination Center (MACC), news media account that several counties with damage to critical convening ARES/SKYWARN nets and providing wind damage and infrastructure remained without any form of communication, with coastal "ood reports from their region. Amateur Radio remaining as the only method of communication The Peabody Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was active on the between shelters and emergency management. Massachusetts North Shore, and the EOC served as a net control Following the storm, David Morris, K4AW, The American Red Cross point for SKYWARN nets in the North Shore area. Coastal "ooding Communications Manager for the Hurricane Michael response, sent reports from the North Shore and surrounding areas and snowfall a letter to Karl Martin, KG4HBN, to acknowledge Amateur Radio’s totals were relayed to WX1BOX and other agencies from their nets. contribution, saying, “I wish to acknowledge and congratulate At the Eastern Massachusetts ARES section level, ARES went on each of you and the many amateurs who manned the stations at standby for agency needs or to support any local ARES activations. the Red Cross shelters and District Operations during Hurricane Local nets were active on approximately 10 di!erent repeaters across Michael…I hope you will pass along to your associates our heartfelt the NWS Taunton coverage area. The New England Echolink/IRLP appreciation for an outstanding job. The professionalism and re"ector system was also active, with reporting stations from across dedication by each operator was truly inspiring.” New England, supplemented by a tie-in to the conference node Morris called Amateur Radio operators, “unsung heroes spending typically used by the VoIP Hurricane Net. countless hours in the #eld to help alleviate human su!ering.” An o!er of assistance came from members of Illinois SKYWARN, including a team member who handles SKYWARN for WX9LOT, the East Coast Radio Amateurs Amateur Radio station at the NWS Chicago/Romeoville o$ce. Track Major Winter Storms WX1BOX, the Amateur Radio station at the National Weather Service (NWS) o$ce in Taunton, Massachusetts, joined numerous SKYWARN nets across New England in activating for an early-January 2018 nor’easter that brought signi#cant coastal "ooding, damaging winds, and heavy snow accumulations to the region. The eastern coast of New England experienced high snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour, with accumulation of 8 to 18 inches, whiteout conditions, and even “thunder snow.” A dramatic drop in barometric pressure generated a so-called “bomb cyclone” with wind gusts as high as 76 MPH. WX1BOX was active for 16.5 hours, supporting data gathering for the NWS. Local and state emergency managers, broadcast media, and other agencies also used these reports for situational awareness during the storm and to Coastal "ood damage in Marblehead, Massachusetts from the nor’easter that hit on March 2 and 3, 2018. [Jim Palmer, KB1KQW, photo] assess the need for any later recovery e!orts.

Maryland Amateur Radio On May 27, ARES volunteers in the Maryland-DC Section activated in the wake of regional "ash "ooding from Tropical Storm Alberto, a storm that lasted from May 25 – 31, 2018. Hit Emergency Service Teams especially hard was Ellicott City, where vehicles were washed away by fast-moving "ood Activate for Flooding waters more than 10 feet deep. Section leadership asked radio amateurs in the a!ected areas to check on the health and welfare of their neighbors. ARRL Assistant Maryland-DC Section Manager and Public Information Coordinator Ken Reid, KG4USN, said high-water rescues were needed in Perry Hall and Patapsco State Park. MDC Section Manager Marty Pittinger, KB3MXM, activated ARES in eight central Maryland counties at 6:30 PM EDT, and 15 minutes later, more than 40 ARES volunteers reported to their respective 2-meter nets in #ve counties. Amateur Radio volunteers in the MDC Section provided additional situational awareness, and Pittinger interfaced with Atlantic Division leadership, Maryland Section Emergency Coordinator Jim Montgomery, WB3KAS, and state and local authorities. Conventional telecommunications continued to function throughout the heavy weather, which caused road closures and power and natural gas outages. The MDC ARES volunteers remained on duty until 10:15 PM on May 28. During the activation, radio amateurs made use of VHF, UHF, and HF capabilities, as well as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) modes.

Devoted Entirely to Amateur Radio 13 “This demonstrated a ‘virtual EOC’ approach to storm monitoring Advocacy utilizing out-of-area resources to support a storm incident with local personnel providing local perspective,” Eastern Massachusetts ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY, said. for Technician Licensees WX1BOX and various ARES groups had their hands full during March In late February, ARRL entered a Petition asking the as well, as the northeastern US was hit with three nor’easters that FCC to expand HF privileges for Technician licensees brought severe weather conditions and a lot of snow. The storms to include limited phone privileges on 75, 40, and 15 caused the Cape Cod ARES team to extend activations for SKYWARN, meters, plus RTTY and digital mode privileges on 80, WX1BOX, and shelter operations. 40, 15, and 10 meters. The #rst in the trio of nor’easters — on March 2 and 3 — brought mostly The proposal stemmed from recommendations put heavy rain and wet snow to parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut, east- forth by the ARRL Board of Directors’ Entry-Level ern New York, and northern New England. Strong to damaging winds License Committee, which explored various initiatives and reviewed swept central and southern New England, with hurricane-force gusts more than 8,000 responses to membership surveys in 2016 and 2017. across southeastern New England and Cape Cod. The storm caused The Entry-Level License Committee o!ered very speci#c data- and severe coastal "ooding across multiple high-tide cycles. survey-supported #ndings about growth in Amateur Radio and its WX1BOX volunteers were active for 17 hours straight, and afterward, place in the advanced technological demographic that includes indi- some continued to monitor high tides and strong winds, which per- viduals younger than 30. sisted into the weekend. Volunteers handled more than 1,000 reports The proposal is critical to developing improved operating skills, of wind damage. At the height of the storm, nearly a half million increasing emergency communication participation, improving customers in Massachusetts lost electrical power. Amateur Radio technical self-training, and boosting overall growth in the Amateur nets were active on repeaters, and on the New England re"ector on Service, which has remained nearly inert at about 1% per year. EchoLink® conference node 9123/*NEW-ENG3*/IRLP 9123 system. ARRL believes expanding Technician privileges will attract more Eastern Massachusetts ARES was on standby, and Cape Cod newcomers to Amateur Radio, lead to increased retention of licens- ARES was active for several days with a regional sheltering oper- ees who hold Technician-class licenses, and provide an improved ation, until power was largely restored to Cape Cod. WC1MAB at incentive for entry-level licensees to increase technical self-training the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Region 2 and pursue higher license class achievement and development of Headquarters was also active. communications skills. A few days later, a second nor’easter brought heavy, wet snowfall to The FCC has not assessed entry-level operating privileges since 2005, southern New England, causing another round of downed trees and and over the course of the intervening years, the Technician license power lines and nearly a half-million customers without power in has become the principal entry-level license class in the Amateur Massachusetts and Connecticut. Eastern Massachusetts ARES was Service. on standby during the storm and for several days afterward until most power was restored. Now numbering some 378,000, Technician licensees comprise more than one-half of the US Amateur Radio population. ARRL said that At WX1BOX, another 14 hours of SKYWARN operations ensued. after 17 years of experience with the current Technician license as the Amateur Radio nets in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode gateway to Amateur Radio, it’s urgent to make it more attractive to Island #elded reports of heavy snowfall, strong gusty winds, heavy newcomers, in part to improve upon science, technology, engineer- rainfall, and minor coastal "ooding. Widespread snowfall amounts ing, and mathematics (STEM) education. totaled up to 16 inches in interior southern New England. As much as 30 inches of snow fell in western Massachusetts, as well as in parts of New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. Preparations for WRC-19 Continue Macedo said it became clear from SKYWARN reports that the region would experience extended power outages. “These reports were ARRL is Amateur Radio’s proactive advocate noted by state emergency management and the media, and used to and representative voice in achieving regula- inform the public about storm risks and to prepare and act accord- tory and legislative success. Through our e!orts ingly,” Macedo said. in Washington and on the international stage through the auspices of the International Amateur The third storm was a major nor’easter and blizzard that a!ected the Radio Union (IARU), ARRL works to ensure that entire New England region with heavy snowfall — 2 feet or more in access to the Amateur Radio spectrum remains northern areas. Wind gusts greater than 70 MPH across Cape Cod, available and free from interference as well as from acquisition by combined with the weight of wet snow, took down trees and utility commercial interests. ARRL is an active participant, working with lines. Eastern Massachusetts ARES went on standby once more. US government agencies to prepare positions and proposals to the SKYWARN nets were active throughout the region, gathering snow- Americas Regional Telecommunications Organization — the Inter fall and wind reports from around southern New England. WX1BOX American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) and at the global volunteers were on duty for 16 hours, bringing the monthly total to 47. level, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Seven Cape Cod ARES volunteers provided communication at shel- The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will hold the ters, as cell phone service was disrupted during the blizzard. Cape World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) in Sharm el Cod ARES District Emergency Coordinator Frank O’Laughlin, WQ1O, Sheik, Egypt, from October 28 to November 22, 2019. Each World said the volunteers “seamlessly” transitioned from providing situa- Radiocommunication Conference will review and revise the Radio tional awareness to addressing communication failures. Regulations. They are typically held every 3 to 4 years. This Conference has several agenda items and other “issues” identi#ed in WRC-15 Resolution 809 that may impact Amateur Radio. The major issues ARRL is tracking to prepare for WRC-19 are 14 ARRL 2018 Annual Report